Wales and Northern Ireland must be granted 'home rule' powers after Westminster leaders' pledge to devolve more power to the Scottish Parliament, the Welsh First Minister has said.

Carwyn Jones told the Labour conference this morning: "The future we promised to Scotland must be delivered - an equal share of resources, a seat at the table, a powerful Parliament - that must be offered to Wales and Northern Ireland too."

Carwyn Jones called for more powers to be devolved to Wales and Northern Ireland. Credit: PA

Mr Jones warned Labour delegates that without a fair settlement for all the countries of the UK, support for parties such as the SNP, Plaid Cymru and Ukip would strengthen.

The Prime Minister is "not being straight with the British people" over the cost and complexity of constitutional reform, Ed Balls said.
The shadow chancellor accused David Cameron of talking "complete nonsense" over his demands that Scottish MPs be quickly stripped of the right to vote on laws affecting only England.

Balls: 'PM not being straight' over reform of Union.

And he said rushed reforms risked "undermining the Union we have all just fought to save".

Mr Cameron's move to link the change to the cross-party timetable agreed for new powers for Holyrood in the wake of Scotland's rejection of independence in last week's referendum has angered Labour and dominated the start of its annual conference in Manchester.

Advertisement

People living in the North of England consider Westminster "extremely remote" and want powers closer to them to improve services, according to a council leader.

Labour leader of Manchester City Council, Sir Richard Leese, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme it was not a case of "one size fits all".

He said: "This is not an issue of who votes on what in Westminster.This is about taking power away from Westminster - not devolution to England or even devolution to Scotland, it's devolution in England, devolution in Scotland.

"I make this argument that the leader of Glasgow would make exactly the same argument about the need for powers to go away from Holyrood to cities in Scotland as well."

The Shadow Chancellor has denied the Labour Party would stall extra powers being devolved to Scotland just because they want longer to examine the Prime Minister's English votes for English laws proposal.

Ed Balls told Good Morning Britain it was "a complete nonsense" and part of David Cameron's attempts to hold a "fractured" Conservative Party together.

He added, "David Cameron's proposal could end up with him saying, 'I want two parliaments'."

It is "common sense" to have only English MPs voting on issues which only effect England and Ed Miliband is "playing politics" by arguing against it, the Conservative party chairman told Good Morning Britain.

Grant Shapps denied major changes to the constitution would be rushed through and said banning non-English MPs from voting on English only issues would address "a great imbalance" in the UK Parliament.

David Cameron will gather senior MPs at his official country retreat today to consider his plan to restrict the voting rights of Scottish MPs in the Commons in an attempt to deliver "English votes for English laws".

The Prime Minister has said measures to address the issue of MPs with seats in the devolved nations being able to vote on policies that do not apply in their constituencies must go "in tandem" with the process of granting fresh powers to Holyrood.